Travelers tend to encounter bunk beds only in a select few places: youth hostels, vacation homes, perhaps the occasional quirky flophouse hotel. A lodging establishment with bunks could be expected to be dated and grungy — shag rug, wood-panel walls, old mattresses, a funky must in the air. Not so anymore.

A new breed of cool, modern hotels may make travelers rethink the bunk bed. In New York City and other U.S. locations where square footage comes at a premium, hotels are embracing bunks to appeal to guests’ nostalgia, as well as the simple need to save money and space. And they’re pairing bunks with boutique amenities and atmosphere and hip, sleek, upscale design.

The annual GMIC conference is the place for the thought leaders, decision-makers, and meeting professionals who seek to understand what does it mean to hold an sustainable event and how do I measure the ROI of my efforts. Sessions combine solid, state-of-the-art knowledge with a format that is interactive, experiential, and fun. GAME ON! More Information

Sorority houses at San Diego State University will be seeing the value of conservation this Spring through a new Urban Corps recycling collections program called “Panhellenic Gone Green” designed to encourage students to save bottles and cans.

The program starts the first week of February with a kickoff party and disbursal of hundreds of blue bins. Urban Corps will collect recyclables and pay the sorority houses the CRV funds generated. At the end of the four-month program, the house that collects the most recycling will win a customized grand prize or they may opt to donate prize winnings to the charity of their choice.

The program is being made possible by CalRecycle is association with the SDSU Panhellenic Council and Green Love, an organization of the Associated Students of SDSU. http://www.urbancorpssd.org

Starwood Hotels & Resorts and PepsiCo have teamed up to provide more value for your meeting experience. Plus, Starwood is giving you an opportunity to give back to your community. For every meeting booked your company will be entered to win one of four $50,000 charitable grants to be donated to your favorite local cause.

Book by July 31, 2010, and hold your meeting by December 31, 2010. This offer includes:

I use to feel bad about leaving practically a full bar of soap at the hotels I stayed in, so I started to take them with me. I would wrap them in a plastic bag and bring them home. Now with the Global Soap Project, I feel better about leaving them behind.

Barona Resort & Casino in the San Diego area is participating in the Global Soap Project and has its housekeepers collect used soap for shipment to the project.

Let’s get the word out to other local hoteliers, so that they too can be part of this great cause.